Australia road trip

Australia has been our home for the last half year, we arrived in the winter and are leaving mid summer... We bought a camper van drove it around NSW and parts of Queensland.  We saw family and met new and old friends.  We enjoyed the Australian wildlife and beautiful wild beaches.

Australia is like the UK with better weather and less people, free BBQs, and bigger spiders! Oh yeah their pretty big!! I saw a huntsman as big as my hand, my cousin said he once woke up with one in his mouth!! Yuk!! Most of the white folks came from the UK originally, some in the last 100 years others the centuary before, so its not really surprising to find fish and chip shops all over the country, but it was a surprise to me, a pleasant one.

Australia is bloody big, we saw a fraction of the country,the east coast which is the most populated coast.  Due to our visas we had to split our 6 month stay into two, divided by our trip to Indonesia.

The first half comprised driving slowly between Sydney and Brisbane, sometimes only driving a few km per day. What struck me was the immense deserted beaches, with signs warning you against swimming because of strong currents, rocks, sharks etc.We stayed with my cousins and got to know family which had not been seen for 30 years which was great and added a whole new dimension to the trip. After Brisbane we stayed near the glass house mountains with Ian and his kids and picked coffee during the days. After Indonesia we returned and spent two months in the Northern Rivers area which is on the border of NSW and Queensland, Byron Bay and Nimbin are some of the famous names associated with this region. Before heading down to Sydney and the area around the blue mountains.

Australia is famous for many things, Koalas being one of them, this photo was taken at Australia zoo, the zoo that Steve Irwin (aka Crocodile hunter) founded.  Unfortunately Koalas have suffered greatly from car related deaths and dogs in gardens and their populations have fallen greatly... We never saw any koalas in the wild just in sanctuaries.  Kangaroos and Wallabies are also killed regularly on Australian roads but their numbers are high and seen regularly everywhere.

Rainbow lorakeets are very colourful birds and can be seen all over Australia in big numbers

Don´t worry Lili its not a croc just a Guiana!

Australian humour is well known but this one was quite novel!

Picking coffee Beans!

Me fixing a rear tyre that exploded whilst driving!!

The inside of our camper!

Queensland.

Our first stop in Queensland was my cousins house, I had not seen him sinse I was 10 years old! We enjoyed our stay with my Aunt and Cousin.  My Cousin asked what we had been doing each day, when we said not much just chilling, he was quite surprised... truth was after many months of travel sometimes you just need to pause and do nothing.. running around and seeing tons of tourist attractions, just did not appeal... Lee my cousin and his family took us out for some great day trips one up to the hills and national park in rain forest, on the way home I jumped on the back of his motorbike and was treated to a real thrill of a ride back... when your racing your way along long open country roads at high speed, you cannot help but have a smile on your face!!!  They also took us to Australia zoo, which was founded by Steve Irwin, crocodile hunter.. little ripper... Its a cool zoo with well treated animals with plenty of space.

Gold Coast surfers Paradise

After my cousins we took to the road again, but not that far... Ian and his four kids became our friends instantly... when we drove up to his place, nobody was there but two dogs, whom after a few minutes I decide were friendly and would let us in the grounds without a problem... there were little signs everywhere saying hobbit house , there were dinosaurs painted onto the sides of water tanks.. we felt at home.. Ian likes a beer after work and likes to run in the morning and weekends... the beer bit was easy, the running a little harder... mainly due to the fact he lives on a mountain so steep climbs are frequent.. but he got me out there.. even racing with him and the kids a couple of times... I spent my days picking coffee at a neighbours place and Sandrine painted the kids doors.

Mental preparation before the big race

Day at the races

Brisbanes water supply

Tawny Frogmoth, strange looking bird!

 Northern Rivers

We spent a month on the property of Melanie and Nicholas with their kids Jeremy and Celeste.  Celeste is 3 just like Lili, they were best of friends and worst of enemies for the time we stayed,,, It was great for Lili to spend some time with a girl of her age and a boy slightly older..  We worked as volunteers mainly doing bush regeneration and weeding, we were treated to first class organic food and expensive red wine in the evenings... The land had loads of wallabies just lying around or nibbling on grass and black cockatoos screeching in the trees.

So our Aussie experience came to an end where it started, in Sydney! We sold our van to a French couple and then stayed in a community near the blue mountains. We took a day trip up the mountain and were rewarded with a beautiful  day of stunning views and waterfalls that you could cool off in.

Wentworth Falls, Blue Mountains, near Sydney

 

Blue Mountains, the Eucalyptus oil refracts and gives the blue colour to the mountain air

Felt great getting out, massage and refreshing shower all in one.

Indonesia, Bali, Diving, Temples and teaching.

Just back from a 7 week trip to Indonesia, checking out the photos and putting my thoughts into order.  When most people think of Bali they imagine a tropical paradise full of honeymooners , well that was my idea, but is that reality? Most people you meet in Indonesia are friendly and seem to be enjoying themselves. However there is also an element of tourist abuse going on. Having arrived at Denpassar airport I asked the airport information service where and when the next bus was going to Ubud, he looked me in the eye and told me the next bus was at 5 o'clock 5 hours from now and I would be better off taking one of the taxis that were vying for my business, this was a lie, the buses go every 20 minutes or so.  I asked him where the bus stop was and got a rather vague answer, I set off on my way and eventually found the bus stop and caught a bus, which costs a fraction of the price a taxi would charge.  This was endemic in Bali where it seems most people will push tourists into paying the highest price possible.  At the market when you want to buy something you have to negotiate hard! So now knowing that people will lie to you, will try to charge you much more what you going to do? Get used to it and just enjoy all the other nice things!!

Ubud and surrounding villages

Ubud is a large town close to the airport but inland from the tourist beaches, here you can buy every kind of hand craft item you can imagine.  There is a large ex-pat community and plenty of tourists.  I was really impressed by the local temples and their colours and flags and the number of people who visited them for festival days, sometimes taking over the streets with long processions  that turned the roads into car parks. Every day somebody would come around leaving little gifts for the gods, sometimes with candies other times small donations of money.

I was expecting large volcanoes and eruptions but I only found old non active volcanoes that none the less still held some charm and sense of size of when they were active, later in Java around Yogyakarta people told us of the nuisance of volcanic ash from regular eruptions and the dangers of earthquakes, much of the buildings on our train journey across Java evidenced such activity with caved ceilings common view.

Cock Fighting
On one of the days we stopped at a small village which seemed to be busy with motorbikes and plenty of flags, we had turned up just in time to witness cock fighting! The previous days we had met men stroking their cocks in public, yes we were surprised too, it turns out that cocks get a neck massage and good rub from their owners on a daily basis, yes I know what your thinking!  The cocks in this village seemed pretty aggressive and the punters were out in force putting down small sums of money on the outcome of the fight.  Blood sports are of course frowned on in many parts of the world but here cock fighting is very much part of the culture although not on the tourist activity list!!

Motorbikes and Police fines

Renting a small motorbike gives you a lot more freedom it also comes with certain inherent risks and the possibility you will need to bribe Policemen.  Indonesia is full of bikes like most of South East Asia you can see whole families on a small bike and some look ridiculously overloaded with various goods. At traffic lights its not uncommon to have 100 plus bikes jostling for position and ready to go as soon as that green light comes.  This can be a little uncomfortable if your not used to it and the air is pretty polluted at such times.  In Indonesia its a legal requirement to have an international driving
permit, most tourists do not!  The Police like stopping tourists on bikes who they will then ask for the driving license and if you do not have the correct paperwork they come back with a smile talk of a form a court appearance and a big fine!  Of course now is the time for the tourist to say is there any way this can be resolved here and now, the Policeman will of course say yes and ask you for a few hundred thousand Rupea $10-20, thats the normal situation, now if you don't have any money in your wallet I found they just tell you to not do it again and go with a warning, keeping your money in another pocket rather than your wallet is a neat trick to avoid police fines and pickpockets getting your money!
Be careful on motorbikes, I have seen too many tourists with injuries sustained from accidents that normally involve front brakes and corners, we were supremely lucky when a guy hit me from behind whilst I was turning right, he bounced off my right arm and ended up on the floor we stayed upright and uninjured, a few firm words were exchanged afterwards with out getting upset but just stating the facts and the guy drove off a few scratches to his bike and foot but no big problem and without the need for Police involvement!

Village Temple with flags

Donations for the festival

View of one of Balis calderas

My two lovelies 

Cock Fighting

Traditional Dress in order to enter a temple for a blessing

Amed and Lovina

After ten days of Ubud and surrounding areas we left for the beach, we specifically a place where we could snorkel and see plenty of fish. Jemuluk Beach in Amed.   My first impression was a little like whats all the fuss about, just another village by the sea, but once I got in put a mask on, wow, the corals were so vibrant, so many fish, different species, just like a very expensive aquarium, and with the thrill that you may see a turtle or two...  I was hooked, we met some local dive instructors from Euro Dive and soon I was on my first adventure dive, diving off the coast onto a wreck called the USS Liberty, this was my second ever dive using tanks but I absolutely loved it,so much so, I decided to do the PADI open water course and become certified.  Thanks Julia and Lorenz, had an amazing experience.

Me Diving on a small wreck Padang Bai

Sea Horse we saw, also a massive Eagle Ray, very majestic!

Whilst we were in the north of the island of Bali, we decided that we had to extend our visas which were only valid for a one month stay.  This meant a trip to the immigration office, well in fact it means three trips five days and 35 us dollars, rather bureaucratic, but no way around it other than paying somebody else to do it for you.  Lovina is a small resort close to the old capital of Bali Singaraja, most famous for its daily dolphin trips and small Buddhist temple.  We avoided the costly dolphin trip touted by our guest house but succumbed to the offer of a local fisherman on the day of Lilies birthday. Dolphin harassment is what comes to mind, 50 boats chasing small pods of dolphins around the ocean, when one spots the pod all the other boats change direction and start chasing the dolphins, which then dissapear and emerge somewhere else, starting the process again.... Not the best trip I ever did in my life or would reccomend.

One year ago we were in India celebrating Lilis 2nd birthday this year In Indonesia, next year who knows, its been a fun time and we have learnt so much, experienced many things met some great people and slept in places you may not want to!! Hey thats the travellers lifestyle, so many people ask us what its like to travel with a young child, well Lili, its been great, people love you and you love them back, yes you have plenty of moments where your upset and screaming but you soon bounce back with a smile and a laugh.. happy third birthday baby, I love you!

Happy Birthday Lili

Dolphin Trip 

Sunset behind local fishing boats

Full Moon Eclipse Party

Just before leaving Bali to go to the Lombock and then Gili Meno we stopped at Padang Bai after being invited for a full moon eclipse party, literally a full moon which had a total eclipse, it got dark, then it got light again after the eclipse had past and the full moon resumed normal service.  The party itself was on a deserted beach and involved local tribes as well as tourists, no alcohol except the local moonshine! The local tribe also did a tribal dance and song which added an authentic tribal feeling to the whole evening as well as the brilliant total full moon eclipse!!

The moon appearing again after the eclipse.

Lombock and Gili Meno

We took the slow ferry to Lombock and then shared a taxi to the next ferry to catch the local boats to the islands, sounds simple but you run the gauntlet of men trying to sell you expensive fast boat tickets and high priced taxis all the way, even the on the ferry we had to pay extra for a foam mattress to have something to lie down on.
We finally reached Gili Meno a day after we had left!  I got in the water after reaching our place of sleep and after a short swim I saw a turtle!! Such graceful creatures and amazing to  swim with them.`

Java

If Bali was a little spoilt at its social fabric level due to tourism then Java did not suffer such issues.  The ferry from Bali to Java gave us an opportunity to meet a great man and his family.  Fendy was eating at the same road side food vendor as ourselves, we started chatting and got along very well, he told us about the train that we should take to cross Java and when it would leave, we checked and the train would leave in two days time, Fendy invited us to be guests at his home as he was a member of couch surfing, he even had a three year old boy just like Lili.  Fendy  also runs a turtle sanctuary, taking eggs, incubating them then releasing them into wild after hatching, he is part of a generation of Indonesians who want to protect the amazing biodiversity they have so that their children can enjoy it... go Fendy.

We travelled from Banyuwangi to Jogyakarta on the train, it took us 14 hours so that was plenty of time for Lili to charm the carriage of passengers and make new friends.

Fendy does his trademark jump and pose, I'm not as flexible.

Lili and Rafa

Lilis mates on the train

Yogyakarta is an old city with world famous temples, Klaten a city just 20 minutes away is not known by tourists!  We spent 1 week there teaching English to school kids and meeting local people and doing stuff that local people do, like go to a wedding on a Saturday morning with 2000 guests, what 2000!! That apparently is a medium sized one in Java! The ceromony happened at the same time as singers were singing and food was being served, as soon as desert was eaten everyone left!!  Then we had pictures with the bride and groom!  Damn im tall! especially in Asia.  We met some lovely people in Java and people trying to make a difference to their community like Rani and Heni and the rest of their team

So our trip to Indonesia was coming to an end, I had one last opportunity to go diving, so did at Padang Bai, the first dive we saw an amazing Eagle Ray a huge fish above us, my air ran low, really fast compared to my previous dives, much quicker than the other divers, on he second dive my air ran out completely whilst at the bottom so I had to quickly inform my guide and take his secondary air supply, on the way up he saw a reef shark above us and a seahorse so pretty nice things to see, but I learnt to check my air supply more often, running out when you are 25 metres under the sea was not a cool thing to do!!